Summer at the Santa Cruz Mission SHP
Summer Fun at the Mission State Park
During the summer, we host an array of FREE events for families and children.
Register for Junior Rangers here, volunteer for the Summer Archaeology Project, or scroll on down for the details of these programs and more! History demonstrations, tours, and old fashioned campfires are for all ages.
Old Fashioned Campfires
Our Old Fashioned Campfires are for folks and families of all ages. Three Fridays in the summer, we invite the community to the park for an evening of tortilla making (masa and cooking fire provided-- you bring the toppings!) live music from local bands, and classic times around the campfire. Led by our teen team volunteers, come expereince campfire songs, funny skits, and stories as the sun sets over Santa Cruz with the community. This is a free event, and no registration is required!
OLD FASHIONED CAMPFIRES 2025
Friday, June 27th
Friday, July 25th
Friday, August 22nd 5:30- 8:00 PM
BRING:
Picnic dinner
Lawn chairs or blankets to sit on
tortilla toppings to share
5:30 - 6:45
Dinner
Live music
Tortilla making on the comal
6:45 - 8:00
Storytelling and songs around the fire
S.A.P.
S.A.P. or the Summer Archaeology Project has been running at the Santa Cruz Mission for ten years this coming summer. Adult volunteers get both hands-on experience and informative lectures about archaeology-- the process, the discourse, and the occupation. Volunteers meet Mondays at the Santa Cruz Mission throughout the summer, and are expected to join for the duration of the program. For more information, check out our Volunteer Page!
Junior Rangers
Junior Rangers is a statewide program for 7 to 12 year olds.
Play games, make art, hunt for treasure, craft objects using historical tools, and get to know California's past, all while making new friends!
At your first Junior Ranger program you will receive a logbook and badge. For each activity you will earn a stamp in your logbook. And that's not all; as you go through the program, one activity at a time, you will earn some very cool rewards! You can participate at the Santa Cruz Mission all summer long, or combine these with programs at different parks. Many of our programs offer STEAM concepts and skills. All of our programs are FREE, but registration in advance is requested
See our 2025 schedule below, and register via our Squarespace link. We run programs all summer on Thursdays, 11am-12:15pm.
Can't make our scheduled programs? You can fill out our Santa Cruz Mission SHP Junior Ranger Self-Guided Activity Booklet whenever you visit the park. You'll receive a logbook and stamp upon completion. Just ask for details at the visitor center.
Find Junior Ranger programs at other parks in the district.
Junior Ranger Schedule 2025
June 12
Indigenous California: Bounty of the Land
Get to know 3 California native plants and how to use them. We’ll learn how soap root, sagebrush, and oak trees become food, tools, and a toy to take home!
June 19
Indigenous California: Bounty of the Sea
We’ll dive into the Monterey Bay as a source of food, travel, and trade for local tribes. Use a pump drill and create a model canoe!
June 26
Geology Rocks!
We’ll investigate how different rock types would be used in traditional lifeways, identify some gems and minerals of the state, and play the Magma Tagma game!
July 3
We The People
How do we fairly divide up marshmallow resources or run a jolly rancher economy, in our self government experiment? Let’s make a declaration!
July 10
Mexica Culture
Learn about language, food, and music from the ancient cultures of today’s Mexico. What connections do we see from that culture to the Santa Cruz Mission? Or to our lives today?
July 17
Building Methods: Tule to Adobe
Compare tule and adobe building materials and technology. Create a tule mat and make an adobe brick.
July 24
Hides & Tallow
Why were cows so important to the mission economy? And what was the impact they had on the land? Make a candle & a stamped leather bookmark or bracelet.
July 31
Flags Over California: History
We’ll look at the various flags that have flown over California in history, and learn the story of the pirate whose flag threatened Santa Cruz. You’ll get a chance to create your own flag!
August 7
Explorers: Using a Compass
We’ll learn how a compass works, then use a compass to follow a trail to treasure! You’ll be able to make and decorate your own compass rose.
Guided Adobe Tours
Saturdays at 1pm
Join us for a guided tour through Santa Cruz’s oldest building, the only remaining example of indigenous housing from the California Missions. Learn about the daily life of people who lived here, and ways in which the Spanish Mission system drastically impacted the local native peoples' culture and landscape. This is a FREE event open to the public, no reservations required.